Dicating machine



Dec. 14, 1937. J. M. LUCARELLE ET AL DICTATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed June 7, 1929 Dec. 14, 1937. J. M. LUCARELLE ET AL 2,102,366

DICTATING MACHINE NVENTORS z MLucare[(e 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 7, 1929 1937. J. M. LUCARELLE ET AL- 2,102,366

DI CTA'IING MACHINE Original Filed Jime 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 millilamv In Ill I06 INVENTORS Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES *zaeatse 1 2,102,366 DICTATING MACHINE Joseph M. Lucarelle and John E. Renholdt, Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to Dictaphone Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application June 7, 1929, Serial No.

369,044. Divided and this application November 2, 1933, Serial No. 696,364. Renewed January 9, 1936 4 Claims.

This invention relates to dictating machines, and more particularly to ejector locking devices for dictation machines.

One of the objects thereof is to provide in a machine of the above character a simple, practical and reliable means for preventing manipulation of the record-ejector while the sound-box occupies an operative position relative to the mandrel and record-cylinder. A further object is to provide practical means adapted to permit or prevent operation of a record-ejector irrespective of the position along its path of travel which the sound-box carriage may chance to occupy. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

For a further disclosure of the invention, refer.- ence may be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of the invention selected merely for purposes of illustration, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a dictating machine with operating parts in the position they assume when the sound-box control is in neutral position;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation showing the operating parts in the position they assume when the machine is in neutral condition;

Fig, 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, with portions of the carriage. broken away and other parts shown in section, showing the sound-box control in neutral condition;

/ Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of certain of the operating parts in the position they assume when the sound-box control is moved forwardly into recording position;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 4,

but shows the operating parts in the position they 5 assume when the sound-box control is moved rearwardly into reproducing position.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 369,044, filed June '7, 1929, now Patent No. 1,968,649, granted July 31, 1934. 'The dictating machine selected for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, comprises "a main frame In having an integral left-hand or head-end standard I l and a right-hand standard l2. A housing l3 is also made integral with the main frame and provides a suitable bearing for a mandrel shaft l4 supporting at its outer end a mandrel l5, upon which a record cylinder I6 is moved for recording and reproducing. The opposite end of the mandrel shaft supports a driving pulley I! which is rotated through suitable connection by anelectric motor or other prime mover,

not shown.

A sound-box carriage I8 is slidably mounted so as totravel longitudinally of the record-cylinder l6 upon the upper tubular guide rod !9 and lower guide rod 20 extending between the left-hand standard H and right-hand standard [2. A stylus position or sound-box control lever 2| is rotatably mounted on the carriage rod l9 within an open space 22 formed in the carriage l8 and has a limited range of rotative movement. As shown in Fig. 3, the sound-box control lever 2!, or ring lever as it is commonly called in the art, is selectively movable to three stations, namely,

recording, neutral and reproducing. When the said lever is in neutral position, as shown in Fig. 3, a lug 23 thereon engages a feed-nut 24 and moves it downwardly out of engagement with a feed-screw 25 extending longitudinally within the guide rod l9. In this position of the feed-nut the by dot and dash outline in Fig. 3, the feed-nut operator can freely move the carriage by hand becomes free to be lifted upwardly into engagement with the feed-screw under the influence of the compression spring 26 progressively to advance the carriage when the feed-screw isrotated.

The carriage l8 comprises a casing 28, within, which is slidably mounted a sleeve 29 having a" hook and slot connection 3| with a link 30, which link is pivotally secured to the ring lever 2 I. The sound-box 21 is provided with a recording stylus 32 and a reproducing stylus 33, connected in a well known manner to a single diaphragm, not shown. The sound-box tube 34, which supports the sound-box 21, is connected by means of a ball-and-socket joint and a pivot pin connection 36- with a tube 35 slidingly mounted within the g,

casing 28. This connection gives the-sound-box a limited range of up and down movement in order that it may accommodate itself to recordcylinders of various diameters, or to compensate for any eccentricity or runout of said cylinders;

In Fig. 3, these parts are shown in neutral position, in which relation a cam lug 31 on the soundbox tube 34 rides upon an adjustable guide plate 38, raising the sound-box to an inoperative position, with both styli out of engagement with the record-cylinder. This conditioning'is necessary in order to safely load and unload the mandrel l5, and also to'allow forward and back spacing of the carriage without marring the record-cylinder surface, as would occur if either of the styli were left in engagement with the record.

' 4, for in this operation" the connecting link 30 moves the sleeve 29 rearwardly within the casing V I 1 stands in other thanneutral position. Thus the 28, and by this movement the cam'lu'g 31' moves out of engagement with the guide plate 38- and allows the recording stylus to engage the recordcylinder- Also, by moving the control lever 2| tothe'rearmo'st position, as shown in Fig.5, the sleeve 29 is moved forwardly within the casing 28 and moves the pivotally connected sound-box forwardly until the lug 31 rides out of engagement with the guide plate 38, and allows the re'produC? ing stylus to engage the sound grooves on"th'e' V record-cylinder, when matter previously recorded will be audibly reproduced. This form :of sound-v box control and construction is more fully described in the United States Patent toBodine et al., No. 1,606,744,November 16, 1926. p

7 When the machine is in operation the mandrel rotates while the carriage moves'lon'gitudinally thereof; in order that the stylus may cut or follow a; spiral sound groove on the surface of the record-cylinder. It is customary, in 'a well known manner, to provide a clutch for starting and stopp g. rotation 01; the mandrel shaft and feedscrew, so that; the operatorm ay instantly control the operation of the machine so as no t to use'up space on the record-cylinder should he pause in his dictatio The feed-screw 25 is rotated when the mandrel "shartis set in motion by means of any suitable system of gearing; disposed within thehousing. As this gearingis common to many forms" of dietation machines, no further description of it will be given'hereinnor is it thought necessary to complicate the drawings byth'e addition of gearing pitch lines.

e or cylinder from the mandrel. In its present form it comprises a plunger 64 'sli'dably mounted within the housing I3 for movement longitudinally of the machine. The operating'end of the plunger has a. head 64'; so shapedand disposed as to pass by the flange-65 of themandrel and to engagethe' inner end of the. record-cylinder [I6 when the plungeris advanced. The other end of the plunger is fixed'to an upstanding arm 65, forming part of a link 61. The link extends longitudinally of the machine beneath the base of the frame and terminates ata convenient point adjacent the end of'the mandrel, where it has' pivotal attachment to a transversely disposed lever 68 by means of a screw'69. The lever 68 is'fulcrumed upon a stud "I at'the' rear of the mac hine'and atfits forward end is provided with' an upwardly extending portion 1 I, forming a fing' enp ieceby means of'whi'ch the lever may be operated; This finger piece extends through: a

slotted plate 12 eovennga suitable opening 13 left,

in the casting forming the base I'OJU'I'he'ends of the slot in the plate 12 serve asstops'for limiting the movement of the lever. j

posed between andconnectedto' the liriktl and 70- The ejector parts just described are: normally held retracted by means ofa spring '13" inter:

the lever 68 at points adjacent to the screw .69, in

' Which position the ejector is kept out'of Qngagc. ,ment with the record:cylinder r 1 Novelty isnot claimed for the features of the dictating machine hereinbefore described, and

only such detail has been presented as will give a provided for moving the record-,

ready understanding of the present invention and the structural and functional relation thereof to the other parts of the machine, as will now be.

described. 7 V n H v I By the presentinvention means are provided for automatically rendering the record-ejector inoperative; whenever the sound-box icontrol record -ejectorcannot be moved to eject a'record while either stylus is in contact with the record blank." g

The means for thus preventing movement of [the record ejector is under control of the soundbo-x control leverin all positions of the carriage relative to the record-support and comprises a bail 88 mounted for oscillating'movement with respect to the carriage'rod 20, from'which it is suspended by means of hangers 8 and 89 loosely mounted on'fsaid rod.

To move the bail 88 to any one of the three positions shown in Figs 3, 4 and 5, a' link 90 is provided; connected at one end with the sound b'ox sliding tube link 30, as by the pin 9|, and ex tending rearwardly and downwardly to a point of connection by means of a stud 92 with the upper end of a lever 93, pivotally mounted on a stud 94upon the side of the carriage guide suppo'rt 95. V The lower end of said lever occupies an operative is normally held in contactwith the ball. by

means of a tension spring I00 fastened at one endto the transverse arm of the bell crank;xand

at the opposite end to a stud II on the under--.

side of the frame. 'The'bell crankis operatively connected with an ejector lock or latching member as will now be described.

I As is best shown in Fig. 1, the bell crank-96, which is at all tinies in operative' engagement with the ball 88; is provided with a pin I04 which rides'in the V-shapedaperture I05 .formed'ina latch lever I06 pivotally' mounted by a stud I01- The latch lever 1 I06 is provided at its outer end with a hook on? catch I08 adapted to swing into the path of'a'p'inon the underside ofthebase.

I09, projecting downwardly from the ejector lever i 68. This arrangement of'partsissuch thatthe ejector may be operated only when the machine is in neutral condition; that is, when-boththe recording and reproducing styli areoutof en-' gagement with the record-cylinder, and positively locks the record-ejector against opration'iwhn the machine is in either recording or reproducing position.

As shown Fig. l,.the pin I04 inithe 'erid of the bell. crank arm! 98 is in the position it as- I06 in such a'posithe pin1I09onthe 'slot I05; holds the latch lever tion that the hook I08 clears leve ' sumes when the sound-box-control lever 2| is in neutral position and when so positioned, the'pin .being in the high point of the inverted V-shaped .ejector-lever fi8' and does not lock the record-j" ejector but when the control lever is moved into 7 either, its recording or reproducing station, the .pin I04 travels to one or the other of the low; points of the inverted v slot I05 and causesthe present invention serves to condition the recordejector lock, in predetermined relationship with the stationing of the sound-box control lever 2|, regardless of the position of the carriage l8 longitudinally of the machine.

As various embodiments might be made of this invention, and as various changes might be made in the construction herein described, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a dictating machine, in combination, a record-support, a carriage, a sound-box supported by said carriage, a sound-box control having recording, neutral and reproducing positions, a record-ejector, means for preventing operation of said record-ejector, means rockable in any position of the carriage for controlling operation of said preventing means, and means pivotally connected to said sound-box control for so controlling movement of said rockable means as to prevent operation of said record-ejector when said sound-box control is moved to reproducing position.

2. In a dictating machine, in combination, a record-support, a carriage, a sound-box supported by said carriage, a sound-box control hav ing recording, neutral and reproducing positions, a record-ejector, means for preventing operation of said record-ejector, means rockable in any position of the carriage for controlling operation of said preventing means, and means pivotally connected to said sound-box control for so controlling movement of said rockable means as to prevent operation of said record-ejector when said sound-box control is moved to recording position.

3. In a dictating machine, in combination, a record-support, a carriage, a sound-box supported by said carriage, a sound-box control having recording, neutral and reproducing positions, a record-ejector, means for preventing operation of said record-ejector, means rockable in any position of the carriage for controlling operation of said preventing means, and means pivotally connected to said sound-box control for so controlling movement of said rockable means as to permit operation of said record-ejector when said sound-box control is moved to neutral position.

4. In a dictating machine, in combination, a frame, a sound-box mounted totravel along said frame and movable transversely of said frame to assume record-engaging and record-nonengaging positions, means for imparting transverse movement to said sound-box, a record-ejector, a lock for said record-ejector, actuating means on the frame having a cam connection with said lock for determining the relation of said lock to said record-ejector, and means responsive to the transverse movement of said sound-box for effecting movement of said actuating means to permit operation of said record-ejector only when. said sound-box assumes its record-nonengaging position.

JOSEPH M. LUCARELLE. JOHN E. RENHOLDT. 

